Bhubaneswar: Three Odisha-born London-based entrepreneurs joined hands to serve over 200 free traditional Odia meals to devotees and homeless people in the Borough of Bexley on the occasion of Rath Yatra on Thursday. People were served ‘arna, kanika, mitha dali, saga muga, besara, pachedi’ and ‘khiri’ at a restaurant.The festive Odia meal was prepared by Subhakanta Das and Sasmita Pattnaik, who spent countless hours ensuring that every guest experienced the authentic taste, warmth and devotion of Odisha. “Not everyone can travel to Odisha and pull the chariots in Puri. But every one of us can serve humanity. Feeding people with love, without discrimination, is one of the greatest forms of devotion,” said Arun Kar, one of the entrepreneurs.For many elderly Odias, the meal brought back memories of celebrating Rath Yatra with their families back home, while for younger generations born outside India, it became an opportunity to experience a living tradition that connects them to their roots. ‘Although we are far away from Odisha, today I felt as if I was celebrating Rath Yatra in Puri. Seeing Lord Jagannath and Odissi performances, besides sharing traditional Odia food with others, made me feel proud of my culture,” said Vijay Meher, an IT consultant.The idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were also placed at a neat corner of the restaurant, adorned with traditional decorations and flowers. The celebrations began with a Odissi performance by Soniya Patnaik and semi-classical dance performances on Jagannath bhajans by Sabita Pradhan and Upasana Padhi, said Partha Panda, another entrepreneur.The event was attended by mayor of Bexley, Lisa Moore; her consort Justin Moore; cabinet member for housing and communities, Bexley Council, Brian Bishop; and cabinet member, Bexley council, Rags Sandhu. Later in her social media post, Lisa lauded the efforts of the restaurant for providing warm, nutritious meals to Bexley residents who need it most.
